Getting An Extension Of Stay On A Nonimm-o Visa

[xerostar]

We left home at 8.30 am and headed for the bank 50 Km away.

Arrived at Bangkok Bank in Lat Yao at 9.15 am

Placed my passbook in the machine to update entries and see

interest accrued since March this year.

Showed a few thousand over 800K Baht in the account.

Went to the teller and my TW asked if we could have a letter to Thai Immigration

stating that my bank balance agreed with that shown in my passbook.

Nobody could speak English so my wife did all the talking.

They said it would take 3 working days to get the letter from Silom head office.

No, I said all you have to do is write a short letter - explained to my wife.

Read the computer I said, you will see that the amount agrees with my passbook.

Print the screen and put a bank stamp on it!

About 6 bank employees took turns at looking at my passport, checking the computer,

looking at my passbook, having discussions, attending to other customers, coming

back to us to say it was not possible etc etc .. I said "I'm on my way to Nakhon

Sawan Immigration right now and I want you to write a letter!" .. blah blah..

more discussions and soul searching ..

2 hours later we had a letter!

Whoppee! - My blood pressure was already up 15% and my mood had gone from

happy anticipation to gloom and doom!

We drove to NS (another 45 Km) and found we had arrived during lunch hour so

we did a little shopping and then went looking for the Immigration building.

We found it more by accident. It was about 100 Metres behind the Tourist Police

building on Sawanvithe Rd about 2.5 Km southwest of Big C.

The time was 1.10 pm

We were introduced to our Imm. officer who was dressed in jeans and Tee shirt

plus he had a 3 day beard.

So much for my "dressing" for the occasion!

The "interview room" is on a sort of verandah open to the street.

Fortunately cool weather today!

The guy apparently spoke little English (or didn't want to) so my TW did all the talking.

The officer checked over my documents. He studied my bank passbook and then the bank letter.

He grumbled a bit and went upstairs to see his boss.

He came down and said the letter from the bank is no good, they have not stated

that your account contained the 800K Baht for two months or more.

I was quick to point out that the money had been there since March this year and

we had made no withdrawls or other transactions since then, also the passbook

shows that clearly - there are no entries at all between March and today's date!

No, he was not happy. I started to pack my things together, also "NOT happy JAN!"

Einstein at the bank here had fudged the document!

(AKA "forget to put the ad in Yellow pages!")

My blood pressure was up another 15%.

He muttered something and made a phone call - evidently to the bank in Lat Yao.

They confirmed on the phone that my account was genuine and no funds had

been deposited or withdrawn since March.

Then he started studying my old passport (which contained the original Non-O Visa)

The visa had an expiry date of 8th December. Then he looked at my new passport

which I got 2 weeks ago. Then he spoke to my wife about a marriage visa.

I said no, I don't want a marriage visa, I just want to extend my stay on the present visa.

He kept talking about that we needed more paperwork to get a marriage visa. Oh No ...

I was getting a bit agitated by now, as nobody would talk to me - only to my wife - in Thai.

even my wife was getting sh*tty by this time and wouldn't listen to me or give me a clue

what was going on!!

I pulled out the application (all filled in) for an extension and said "this is what I want!"

Then he jumped up and showed me the old passport where it said in a red smudged stamp

above my visa:

Non-immigrant visa

classification 'O'

extension of stay

##t permitted

This visa no good for extension! he said.

The "not" was covered by a nearby round red stamp and was barely visible.

I was embarrased, how did I miss that??!

Why the he*l did they put that stamp on there? (in Perth last year)

All along I thought I had a normal Non-O visa!?

I felt shattered, after all my study and preparations and now this,

I thought now I will have NO chance!

He went upstairs again.

The boss came down and looked at everything and shook his head.

He went away and the officer talked to his workmates.

I started gathering my stuff together when the boss came down again

- he must have spoken to someone in Head Office.

He told my wife that the original visa had that red stamp because my passport

was due to expire in April 2010 and therefore any visa would not be

extendable on such a passport.

Evidently a visa holder can only get an extension if the passport is valid for 2 years or more!

I knew that ..

But since I had already obtained a new passport, they would be able

to transfer the visa to my new passport. Simple Yes! No?

Now that's what I thought was going to happen all along

(before I even got there) but all this other talk had flattened me.

Then the paperwork began in earnest.

It was 3.15pm and I had a headache.

They asked my wife if she had registered me as an alien living in her house?

No - she had no idea that this was the law.

We had actually been to the local Amphur early this year but they had

failed to record anything.

So they gave her a few papers to fill in, lucky we had the info required.

The paper shuffling and cross checking went on and on and eventually

he made a few stamps in my new passport (7 in all).

I said what about my re-entry permit?

He said where is your 2nd passport photo?

I said I only brought one! (on advice from ThaiVisa forum members)

They forgot to point out that you need one for the extension and another one

for the re-entry permit. Grrr.

Oh <deleted>! my fault, I should have checked .!! No excuses ..embarrasment!

My wife said you can go and get another photo down the road. (I had a dozen of 'em at home ..)

By this time I was knackered. My blood pressure was up to the max, my head ready to explode!

I gave up. I said we will come back next week (or whenever I have more energy to spare)

I paid the 1900 Baht and I got my passport back with the correct stamps (hopefully).

Extended to December 2010!

Time 4.15 pm

So we drove out just as the student rush was in full swing - traffic jams for miles.

Motorcycles as thick as flies! Ducking and weaving!

Nearly ran over one fat guy who changed lanes 2'' from my front bumper.

Heavy braking on my part saved him.

Only 95 Km to get back home ..

Better than going to Mae Sot by a long shot!

Eventually got home at sunset. Stuffed.

What a day!

I think Murphy's law is still valid (for me anyway)

.

.

[lopburi3]

Suspect they made a mistake with that "no extension" stamp as it has no effect on making one year extensions of stay - only a warning that you can not extend for 30 days like a tourist visa. There is no restriction on passport validity - your extension can be up to the date of expiration.

[opalhort]

All my Non-Imm-O visas in the past had the "No extension allowed" stamp, but never had any problem to get an extension.

Validity of PP is only important when you apply for a visa at a Thai consulate/embassy. The PP has to remain valid for at least six months.

In the past the Non-Imm visas stated something like: Visa valid until..DATE..or as long as PP remains valid.

Note: when I speak about "past" I mean over 10 years ago.

But good to know that the OP got his extension of stay based on retirement in the end.

opalhort

[Jingthing]

What a horror story. I am sure many readers like me who use the English speaking, farang friendly Pattaya immigration office are feeling grateful. However, I think a lot of immigration offices would have had a problem with that more informal bank letter you presented. Also as pointed out, you do NOT need two years passport validity to get an annual extension, you don't even need a full year.

[sinnus99]

I was also wondering if my passport expire NOV 2010 and have extension of stay until May 10, 2010 how long would be the next extension of stay stamp valid 1 year or until the passport expire? Or if I request new work permit in DEC 2009 can I get 1 or 2 years validity or only until my extension of stay valid or passport expire?

[lopburi3]

Work permits are not tied to passports so will be what they normally issue.

Extension of stay has been to expiration of passport - but extended to full year when you bring in replacement. Not sure if that is still policy or not. But don't recall seeing anything to indicate otherwise.

[sinnus99]

Beginning this year I received my new work permit and the WP expiry date was tied to my extension of stay expiry date. I applied for 1 year WP with 1 year employment contract but my WP was only valid for few weeks until my extension of stay expired. Once I got the extension of stay permit extended, the labor office extended my WP to the same date.

If the extension of stay expiry date take into account the passport expiry date, and the work permit is extended only until the extension of stay permit, then the work permit will be only valid until the passport expiry date. This means if your passport have less than 1 year validity, you better get a new passport before applying for 1 yr WP and 1 year extension of stay otherwise you need to make multiple trips to immigration and the labor office.

Edited November 22, 2009 by sinnus99

[Mario2008]

Beginning this year I received my new work permit and the WP expiry date was tied to my extension of stay expiry date. I applied for 1 year WP with 1 year employment contract but my WP was only valid for few weeks until my extension of stay expired. Once I got the extension of stay permit extended, the labor office extended my WP to the same date.

If the extension of stay expiry date take into account the passport expiry date, and the work permit is extended only until the extension of stay permit, then the work permit will be only valid until the passport expiry date. This means if your passport have less than 1 year validity, you better get a new passport before applying for 1 yr WP and 1 year extension of stay otherwise you need to make multiple trips to immigration and the labor office.

Lopburi is right, the WP is no longer tied to permission to stay. You now can even get a 2 year validity of your WP. This year my WP was exteded for 1 year before I even went to immigration for an extension of stay

Your labour office probably still works under the old rules.

[sinnus99]

In Thailand every Labor office has their own rules. Dindaeng work permit process is different than the one in Samut Prakarn or the one in Chiang Mai. The Samut Prakan work permit office have different forms than the Dindaeng labor office and have different document requirement. As of April 2009 in Samut Prakan, work permit expiration dates were matched to extension of stay expiry date in passport.

Today the Samut Prakan labor office said that they don't need letter from employer when someone leave employment and they don't need the work permit back. The labor office in Chiang Mai requested a letter from my company in Samut Prakarn showing last day of work and work permit number. Will know in few weeks if in Chiang Mai they match the work permit expiry date to the extension of stay expiry date in passport or not.